1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing device and an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent high performance processors are making virtualization technology popular. Virtualization technology enables cores of a multi-core CPU (Central Processing Unit) to run respective operating systems and cause the operating systems to perform respective different processes in parallel. In such a case, a virtual network may be built to perform communication between the cores.
FIG. 3 shows a block diagram which indicates an example of a software configuration and a network configuration in an information processing device which includes a multi-core CPU. In the configuration shown in FIG. 3, a CPU 101 includes four cores 111 to 114 which are connected to each other through a virtual network 102.
One core of the cores 111 to 114 (here, the core 114) controls a network interface 103 and performs a communication process for an external local network 201. By executing a predetermined program, the core 114 forms not only a communicating unit 121 which performs a communication process for the virtual network 102 but a communicating unit 122 which performs a communication process for the local network 201, and further forms a router function unit 123 which performs routing between the virtual network 102 and the local network 201 as two different IP networks.
Since the router function unit 123 exists in one core (i.e. the core 114) in the CPU 101, the other cores 111 to 113 (i.e. programs therein) perform communication through the router function unit 123 with another device on the local network 201.
When the cores 111 to 113 (i.e. programs therein) transmit a unicast packet to the virtual network 102 to communicate through the router function unit 123 with another device on the local network 201, this packet passes through the router function unit 123, is transmitted to the local network 201, and reaches the destination device.
However, when the cores 111 to 113 (i.e. programs therein) transmit either a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the virtual network 102, the router function unit 123 does not pass along the packet, and therefore, the cores 111 to 113 (i.e. programs therein) do not have means for a multicast packet and a broadcast packet to reach a device on the local network 201.